Children are smaller and still developing making them more susceptible to toxins. Because of this, it’s a good idea to put extra thought into the items that make up their room especially their bed, where they spend so much time when they are little. This post will explore kids organic and OEKO-TEX comforter options.
Problems with Traditional Comforters
Cheap bedding is often made from polyester, which will sometimes be labeled as microfiber. Polyester is a form of plastic that is derives from petroleum, which doesn’t exactly give off healthy vibes.
100% cotton comforters are a step in the right direction, but even those may be dyed with ingredients that aren’t skin-friendly and harm the environment. Fabric dyes can contain heavy metals and other toxins that are not only unhealthy for us but downright harmful to the workers in that industry.
Fabric dyes pollute ground water, which is a big problem for countries like China where much of this industry is located. Traditional, low-cost bedding isn’t the best choice environment or for us. Thanks to basic supply and demand, we now have lots of healthier and safer bedding options including organic cotton and/or OEKO-TEX comforters.
The Difference Between Organic Cotton and OEKO-TEX
GOTS Certified organic cotton and OEKO-TEX comforters can both be good choices, but they are not the same thing. Let’s take a closer look at the two certifications.
OEKO-TEX Certification
Standard 100 by OEKO-TEX certification can be given to most any fabric including polyester/microfiber as long as it tests free of a long list of toxins that have been deemed particularly harmful to humans.
OEKO-TEX is one of the world’s best-known labels for harmful substance testing in textiles. The label ensures that every component of an item is tested and ensured to contain no or only trace amounts of certain toxins.
There are four levels to the Standard 100 by OEKO-TEX depending on the purpose of the textile. For example. if fabric will be used to make a shower curtain it will have a higher threshold for toxins than a blanket that will be used next to a baby’s skin.
GOTS Certified Organic
Only natural fabrics like cotton, linen, etc. are eligible for a Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certification, and the process is extensive, which you can read about at the link above.
GOTS is the worldwide leading textile processing standard for organic fibers, including ecological and social criteria. This is an independent certification that must be sought out within the textile industry.
With a focus on sustainability, GOTS evaluates the processing and manufacturing of textiles on the basis of both, environmental and social criteria. This includes assessments on the chemical inputs as well as the ethical treatment of workers. All criteria must be met to obtain a GOTS certification.
The GOTS standard covers the processing, manufacturing, packaging, labelling, trading and distribution of all textiles made from at least 70% certified organic fibers. There are two GOTS label-grades: “organic” requiring a minimum of 95% organic fibers and “made with organic materials” requiring at least 70% organic fibers.
GOTS certified organic cotton is the most stringent certification for textiles. Because of this, products that don the label often cost significantly more than those without. This post will include some budget and alternative options for OEKO-TEX comforters as well.
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Which Brands Offer Kids Organic Cotton and OEKO-TEX Comforters
Pottery Barn Kids and PB Teen
Pottery Barn Kids and PB Teen offer GOTS certified cotton and OEKO-TEX comforters, quilts and duvets. I’ve owned several Pottery Barn duvets, and I will warn you they have gotten thinner over the years. The duvet inserts on the other hand, I have been especially impressed with.
The last PB Teen duvet I purchased was no thicker than a sheet, and the buttons fell off quickly. Maybe it was just a bad go around as the one before just a couple of years earlier probably twice as thick. I haven’t purchased a quilt of comforter mostly because I started with the duvet and wanted to get use from the duvet insert.
Since the quilts and comforters are more expensive, I suspect they are higher quality. And talk about adorable designs, I personally think they make some of the cutest kids bedding available.
The Company Store
The Company Store offers some super cute kids bedding. I ordered my favorite ever kid’s sheets from here a few years back—they were aqua with mermaids! Similar to Pottery Barn, The Company Store offers GOTS certified cotton and OEKO-TEX comforters, quilts and duvets.
MakeMake Organics
MakeMake Organics is a mommy-owned small business offering baby and child bedding via Amazon. They offer crib bedding as well as toddler and kids GOTS certified organic cotton duvet sets. They feel strongly about the health of children and the earth. So much so that all of their items are GOTS certified.
Budget-Friendly Organic Cotton Comforter
We’ve been on a pretty tight budget since having kids. Most times, I’ve had to choose between expensive sheets or an expensive comforter. One way to do this is to buy nice sheets and pair them with a wimple organic waffle blanket instead of a comforter.
Amazon has this organic cotton waffle blanket that works great, affordable comforter alternative. The blanket is made in India from organic cotton. India is known for their Turkish cotton and conscientious textile manufacturing process.
OKEO-TEX Comforter Budget Options
These options are also fairly affordable and offer an OEKO-TEX certification with cotton and microfiber options.
Wildkin
Wildkin is a small Nashville, TN, business, which is pretty cool considering I live in middle Tennessee. The brand offers an array of children’s products like backpacks, lunchboxes, sleeping bags and bedding. We’ve owned and do own several different products of theirs and have loved them.
We have their sleeping bags, so if their bedding is anything like their sleeping bags, you’ll adore them. Their bed-in-a-bag sets are 100% cotton and OEKO-TEX certified. Just be aware that they also offer microfiber OEKO-TEX bedding, so be sure to read the description of each product closely.
Pillowfort
Pillowfort is sold by Target. They offer OEKO-TEX cotton comforters as well as OEKO-TEX microfiber comforters. The reviews are mixed as far as quality goes, but the brand may be worth checking out. Some of their bedding is also Fair Trade certified, which ensures fair wages for the cotton fabric.
Like Wildkin, Pillowfort comforters are filled with polyester, but the entire bedding is covered by the OEKO-TEX certification. This is also the case with some of the more expensive organic comforters, because it’s just so darn costly to fill comforters with organic cotton. Cotton filling also tends to clump and flatten over time, which makes polyester fill more desirable.
Conclusion
You will find that most of the brands mentioned in this post also offer sheets, but for a few additional options check out my related post, Best Organic Cotton and OEKO-TEX sheets. I hope you find just what you are looking for to create a healthy and relaxing sleeping place for your little one.
